worth a total of 5 billion euros.
UfM’s labelled projects dealing
with higher education, vocational
training and job creation have had
over 200,000 beneficiaries.
Perception of the Mediterranean
Tourism Foundation
As a first observation, any meeting,
organisation or conference that
somehow deals with the Mediterranean is welcome. This is not competition but diverse efforts which in
one way or another help to enhance
understanding, exchange and create mutual trust, towards the ultimate goal of giving the peoples of
the Mediterranean a better life.
Those who
want to create
disorder, who
want to create
disillusionment
amongst youth,
have targeted
tourism. Their
aim is to increase
frustration; they
want to kill the
aspirations of
young people,
leaving them with
very little options
INSIDER SPECIAL EDITION
Tourism plays a crucial role in creating jobs for both males and females.
The present time and specifically
the rise of extremism on both sides
of our shores make the above goals
even more crucial to achieve. One
main component towards achieving
these goals and defeating extremism is job creation. The problem
of youth unemployment, both male
and female is one that has to be
tackled due to its economic, social
and political repercussions
Tourism is one area that can help
Mediterranean countries meet this
challenge. It is hardly necessary to
dwell at length on the crucial role
that tourism plays in creating jobs,
for both males and females. Added to that one has to mention that
tourism also helps to increase mutual understanding between hosts
and guests, coming from different backgrounds of religion, culture and history. We need to know
each other better, without knowing
each other we cannot communicate
properly.
The setting up of a Mediterranean
Tourism Foundation is certainly a
step in the right direction and it
comes at the most opportune time.
Those who want to create disorder,
who want to create disillusionment
amongst youth, have targeted tourism. Their aim is to increase frustration; they want to kill the aspirations of young people, leaving
them with very little options, op-
tions that will only lead to disaster
for the youths concerned and for
the youths of those countries.
The message must be clear. We are
certainly going through a difficult
time. What this implies is that we
cannot give up; we have to rise to
the challenge. We have to have a
long term vision, the challenge is
great and so must be our efforts.
Above all we have to be intelligent
in our response.
This is not the first challenge that the
Mediterranean Sea has faced nor will
it be the last but the various efforts
that we in our own different ways and
spheres undertake will ultimately lead
to a better future for our people.
H.E. George Saliba
is Malta’s Ambassador and Special
Envoy to the Secretariat of the
Union for the Mediterranean.
2015
107